“Volvo set a high standard for others to beat…”
Is the sentiment of Skene Group Ltd’s joint managing director Darren Forrester as the company takes delivery of a further three excavators and two loading shovels from Volvo Construction Equipment.
Continuing a robust machine replacement programme, Skene Group Ltd of Glenrothes Fife has replaced three thirty six tonne excavators with three new Volvo EC360C excavators – two of which are specified as full secondary demolition machines and two Volvo L220F loading shovels for its quarrying activities. The recent deal makes the whole of Skene Group’s heavy plant being made up of virtually all Volvo branded machines. “The complete package on offer from Volvo from the initial quote, trade in valuation and order to delivery process and after sales service support is very professional in our opinion,” commented joint managing director Darren Forrester. “Volvo set a high standard for others to beat.”
Two of the three thirty six tonne excavators have been specified as full secondary demolition machines which feature additional under belly protection plates; a bolt on side impact protection system around the superstructure; full length track chain guards; double thickness side doors; heavy duty FOG (falling object guard) pro- tecting the operators compartment and protection plates for the boom and bucket cylinders. At the heart of the EC360C a 12 litre Tier III V-ACT engine developing 250 nett hp operates in conjunc- tion with an advanced mode control system ensuring the maximum possible hydraulic horsepower available is delivered at a constant engine speed under varying load conditions. A maximum torque of 1475Nm is achieved at just 1275 r/min and this in conjunction with the machine’s advanced hydraulic system ensures maximum fuel efficiency is achieved through every work cycle.
The two L220F loading shovels supplied in the same deal are again replacement machines in Skene Group’s plant fleet and will be
deployed at two of the company’s hard rock quarries located in Central Scotland. The machines have been equipped with 5.4m3 straight lipped buckets with teeth, boom suspension and XLDD2A L5 tyres.
As with Skene Group’s existing fleet of Volvo branded equipment these latest arrivals have been supplied with Volvo’s Blue service agreements which are based on a fixed rate per scheduled service and a fixed rate for mileage including oil sampling and regular inspections to be reviewed on an annual basis. “The decision to outsource the regular servicing, inspections and oil sampling back to the original manufacture makes sense in our opinion,” said Mr Forrester. “Having Volvo looking after the equipment with their own trained engineers using genuine parts with the proper disposal of all used oils and materials gives us both peace of mind and a tight control on each machine’s life time cost.”
The Skene Group has enjoyed steady growth since it was founded in 1968 by its current Chairman, Donald Skene. It became a limited company in the late 1970s with the launch of its civil engineering, road building operations and demolition activities then diversified into minerals in the 1980s, quarrying sand, gravel and hard rock deposits. The 1990s saw further expansion, this time into pre-cast and ready-mixed concrete products. Managing director Neil Skene joined the business in 1984 and now oversees all its divisions providing sand and gravel quarrying; hard rock quarrying; concrete products and construction services along with joint managing director Darren Forrester.
Two of the three Volvo EC360C’s have been supplied with secondary demolition specification
THE VOICE PAGE 25
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